The Quidditch League Forum Competition Season 7 / Round 7

Position: Captain

Team: Kenmare Kestrels

Prompt - Captain: Write about someone being in charge of something/someone.

Minerva McGonagall was not a very patient woman. From her early years as a Gryffindor lion all the way up to the present moment - sitting in Albus Dumbledore's new office - her tone was always a bit snappy when someone didn't understand her passionate lectures on the delicate nuances of Charms, to the small twitch of her mouth when someone chewed loudly right next to her. Her friends called her uptight. But she was merely... impatient when it came to her life and how she chose to live it.

Which is why, it was only the delicate balance of respect and burnt out patience that kept her from fidgeting in her seat at the somber blue gaze of her former Transfiguration teacher.

After the graduating ceremony, Minerva had heard rumours of Professor Dumbledore taking the headmaster position at Hogwarts, leaving his former place empty and in need of replacement. Transfiguration was her best class - the chances of the place opening right after her graduation... those chances were next to nothing. Defense Against The Dark Arts position was also open, but just the thought filling that position gave her shivers, for reasons she couldn't quite explain. Perhaps the untimely death of the previous professor caused her to be wary. Either way, she loved Transfiguration far more than any subject and Dumbledore knew this. She was bloody good at it.

So... why was he...?

Her mouth twitched and tightened.

"Minerva..."

Oh, that was never good.

"Albus." She returned evenly, ignoring the way he glanced at her in surprise. From 'Professor' to first name basis in a span of ten minutes was bound to surprise anyone, not to mention it revealed a level of disrespect that Minerva would've never shown before. But she was not a student anymore and she wanted this job.

She hurried to assure him, because obviously, he would have doubts on whether she could handle the level of work that she would have to teach. "My grades were more that satisfactory in my classes, correct?"

"Yes."

Minerva plundered on. "And I have all the qualifications, correct?"

There was hesitation but still, he answered. "Yes, quite."

She paused to ponder any obstacles that might be stopping him from saying yes. They had been in this office for quite a while, going over her papers, asking questions about her future, her thoughts on Hogwarts, her thoughts on life. Minerva was starting feeling like this was more a counseling session for a seventh year student rather than an interview.

Dumbledore frowned at her. "You are aware... that you will be required to teach first years. Not to mention, your position may extend to Head of House in due time. This will require taking care of young children."

Oh.

He looked amused at her blank expression.

"I can do that."

"Care."

"Yes."

"Love."

She gave him a look and he looked mildly apologetic. Minerva scowled.

"A firm rein on your temper."

She flipped to a neutrally blank face.

"And most importantly... patience."

This is where she faltered.

"I have no qualms in hiring you." Dumbledore mentioned casually and she snapped her head up to stare.

"Really?"

"Yes, really." His eyes twinkled. "However, there will be a test to pass before I can officially hire you."

"What kind of test?"

Dumbledore pulled out a paper from the side of a desk and pushed it over to her to read while beginning to explain. "The new students will be arriving in two weeks to begin their classes. The letters have already been sent out... but this family..."

Minerva's eyes flickered over the parchment and she muttered softly - "Amelia Wilson"

"They are muggles." Dumbledore nodded, observing her reaction. "They are very confused and uncertain on what this means for their family. Explanations have already been sent to them, but they requested that someone accompany their daughter for school supplies."

Minerva didn't like where this was going and she voiced her worries.

"Obviously... Hogwarts and the staff won't be involved... because we can't do this with every muggle that comes arou -"

She looked up to see Dumbledore giving her an innocent smile. One that had always appeared during particularly surprising and painful assignments.

"Sometimes..." He told her gently, "exceptions must be made. You will accompany Amelia Wilson to Diagon Alley for her supplies tomorrow. You'll find her address on her paper."

Minerva started to argue.

"If you wish to have a job teaching young children, I suspect this will be quite easy for you." He gave her a knowing look.

She scowled.

It was a common Muggle apartment where Minerva found herself standing the next morning. The brisk wind made her shiver and tuck her cloak tighter around her shoulders.

She had never navigated Muggle London very often before. At least not on her own and she found that she didn't particularly care for it. The people bustling down the streets were rude and withdrawn, the streets had seen better days, but... with a slight flash of compassion after seeing the newspapers flutter in the wind, she found it in herself to stop her urge to scowl back at everyone who ignored her request for directions.

It would appear that everyone was fighting a war. Muggle or not.

After a few moments of waiting from knocking, the door swung open to reveal a haggard woman, not much older than herself, staring back at her.

"... Hello." Minerva said, slightly nervous, but she kept her voice firm. "I'm from Hogwarts, the Wiz - "

The woman's eyes widened and she yanked Minerva inside before she could finish her sentence. "What are you thinking?!"

Minerva stumbled in the doorway, taken aback. "I beg your pardon?"

"You can't just talk about Hogwarts and witches and wizards out in the open." The woman's eyes were wild, looking like Minerva had just insulted her mother and laughed about it. "People hear things! They talk. We'll be labeled as crazy! As if we are not already." She scoffed. "With those birds you send pecking at our windows. Neighbors probably think we have an infestation or something."

Minerva closed her gaping jaw. Manners. Manners. "I'm terribly... sorry." She cleared her throat. "As I was saying, I'm from Hog-"

The woman promptly covered her mouth with a hand. "Hush! There are ears everywhere! The walls are thin!"

Minerva blinked. The woman was barmy.

After she removed her hand, Minerva tugged at her robes, feeling quite discomforted and itching to get this whole 'test' over with. She spoke dryly. "I'm here to take your daughter shopping."

The woman scowled. "You think we are poor or something?"

Minerva turned her gaze towards the ceiling with exasperation.

"I'm the babysitter."

The woman's eyes brightened. "That's better." She yelled out. "Amelia! The babysitter is here."

Minerva winced. If the walls were thin, she pitied the neighbors.

As she waited, Minerva let her gaze travel over the bare kitchen and simple chairs that decorated the small place. Hastily, she returned to looking at the wall before it looked like she was being nosey and rude.

It wasn't too long until 'Amelia' appeared, hopping around the corner eagerly. Minerva observed her with growing dread, judging how much energy was being used and how much was left until it emptied, and the child acted like a rational human being.

"Mum?" Amelia was looking at her mother, curiously.

The mother nodded at her and took her child's arm, tugging her forward. "This is the lady we were talking about earlier. She'll help you get started..." And they left the rest unsaid.

Minerva felt a small bag get stuffed in her hand. The woman was shockingly timid as she explained. "I hope... that'll be enough. School isn't that expensive, is it?"

Minerva shifted the bag in her hand and made few assumptions with her limited experience of Muggle money, and gave her a nod. "Of course not."

She looked relieved and took Amelia's hand and placed it in Minerva's other hand with surprising force. "And you'll keep my daughter safe." It sounded like an order, not a question or a suggestion. "Promise me."

Minerva took one look at the wide eyes, trusting and eagered, staring back at her. The hair tumbling over a well-worn blue dress. A future witch.

Her hand curled firmly around the smaller one in her grasp. "I promise."

The journey to Diagon Alley through Muggle London tested Minerva's patience more than she would ever readily admit. Constantly, Amelia darted forward to look at the glass windows to the shops, claiming that her mother rarely had time to take her out anymore, and the weak side of Minerva's soul relented until it got to the point of knocking people over in the street and being in the path of bicycles.

Minerva found herself grasping Amelia's wrist tightly and then forcing herself to relax. She never had any younger siblings and even though she had signed up for a teaching position being surrounded by children, it had never crossed her mind how fragile they could be. Could the tight grip bruise her wrist? Would she notice? As far as Minerva knew, Amelia didn't have the strongest attention span, but surely if she was hurting her...?

She stopped in her tracks and groaned. Her temper spiking high in that moment. Why were children so confusing?

"Miss Minnie?" There was a tug on her robes and she looked down.

Amelia was smiling at her. "Are we there yet?"

"Yes." It would appear they were. But as Minerva continued forward, she kept her grip very loose on her young companion's wrist.

She hadn't mentioned it to Amelia nor to her mother, but the small pouch of Muggle money would barely cover the cost of the supplies and robes. Used textbooks saved much money, but there still wasn't enough. Minerva tugs the girl after her into Gringrotts, explaining along the way about the goblins and the vaults. The girl is eagered to learn and nods along with what she shows her, she asks questions that make sense and some questions that don't make any sense (why are the goblins so small?) and they manage to make it outside in record time. Muggle money switched for shiny fresh coins.

And if Minerva took a small shortcut to her own family vault, she would certainly deny it to anyone who asked.

...

Minerva tucked the pouch in her robes, feeling surprisingly energetic for someone who had just left a bank to withdraw money. She glanced down at her small companion to explain about being measured for robes - afterall, those took the longest, might as well get it over with - but to her shock, the space beside her was void of the Muggle child.

A strong sense of panic filled her.

"Amelia!" Minerva glanced frantically around, furiously glancing at everyone bustling by without a care in the world. Surely, an eleven year old child couldn't get trampled by human traffic, could they?

She wanted to smack herself. No, that was dumb.

"Miss Minnie!" A voice shouted. The girl was waving cheerfully from a nearby window. The ice cream shop. Of course, children liked ice cream. Staring at it included.

Minerva let out a puff of exasperated air.

How many hours of this worry did she have to deal with?

Glaring at the child would do no good. The day had just started and already she could feel her patience fraying at the edges, the familar lion temper rearing its head, but she thought about the scared mother, the empty tables and chairs, and the girl excited to merely be outside in this frigid cold air.

Compassion took hold of heart and she breathed the annoyed sigh back into her lungs, stalking forward to begin this journey with the little girl.

"The robes were so cool! Will all the kids be wearing them? She said I couldn't get one in pink, is that true? That isn't true. How can everyone wear black robes?"

"Why can't everyone wear black robes?" Minerva asked dutifully, while paying the clerk for the potion textbook. It was an odd question. Black was practical. Though, maybe she should introduce Amelia to Albus and they could have a proper heart to heart on the drab colours of wizards.

Amelia wrinkled her nose, pondering the question.

"Because it's dumb?"

Ah, the simplicity of a child.

The clerk snorted and then paled after Minerva gave him a stern look, before sweeping out of the shop with Amelia close at her heels.

"Miss Minnie!"

"Yes?"

"What House were you in?"

They had spoken about Hogwarts in detail during the robe fitting earlier.

"Gryffindor. The house of the brave." Her lips quirked fondly in memory of her school days.

Amelia caught her expression and grinned. "I want to be in the same House as the one you were in."

"Why?" She gave the girl a curious glance.

"Because you are amazing."

That made Minerva stutter to a quick stop in front of the Quidditch shop. Her mind struck dumb with a simple honest reply of a child.

She sighed. How weak of her.

"Miss Minnie?"

"What is the next stop?"

"The list?"

"Right! Uhhhh... oh."

Minerva paused. "Oh?"

Amelia looked up and for the first since their short shared time together, she looked very grave and solemn. "Wand."

Her lips twitched.

This was going to be fun.

If Minerva thought the dark foreboding shadows of the wand shop would deter Amelia from her energetic curiosity, then she was absolutely wrong. If anything, it made the questions come faster and Minerva tried to hold back her snappy replies.

Ollivander had a field day of leaping out of the shadows and it delighted Amelia, and made Minerva hold a hand over her chest to calm her pounding heart.

He gave her a stare. "Dragon heartstring. Minerva, was it? Filled with fire that wand was. And still is, like it's owner, I suppose." He watched her turn away with a frown.

Ollivander had always unnerved her as a little girl.

The crooked man leaned over to peer at Amelia. "First year, eh?"

"Yes, mister." She replied, smiling brightly and Minerva found her annoyances melting away before she could stop them. Then she cleared her throat and turned towards the counter, scowling at nothing in particular. The girl was cute.

"Particular little girl, aren't you?" He laughed. It was a raspy sound in the dusty old shop.

"Mum likes to think so. I like to think I'm a bit weird." Amelia shrugged her tiny shoulders.

Ollivander's eyes flashed. "Is that so, is that so..." He started towards the boxes, mumbling under his breath.

It took two to three tries before they found the right wand. It startled Minerva. It had taken her two hours to find her own wand at that age. And it took Amelia twenty minutes.

Perhaps someone above knew how close she was to ripping out her hair from being between the batty shopkeeper to the excited little girl.

Amelia was waving her wand with a look of awe and wonder.

Minerva let out a small smile at the sight.

"Very interesting..." The old man hobbled forward. "Unicorn hair core... " He gave a sidelong glance at Minerva. "Fir wood. Very interesting indeed."

Fir wood. Same as her own wand.

That man unnerved her.

She quickly paid Ollivander and steered them both out of the shop without looking back once.

"I like that man." Amelia said bluntly.

Minerva nodded absently. "Yes, yes."

That was it. Minerva had planned for the wand to be the last stop on the list. The most satisfying, the most magical, and the most meaningful. She shifted the cauldron in her arms.

She was tired.

Freezing.

The cauldron was heavy.

Her bun was falling apart, leaving her dark hair falling in her face and she shook it away with a huff. Minerva probably looked like as much of a mess as she felt. It was time to go home.

"We are done."

Amelia looked up, startled from her study of her new wand. "Done?"

"Yes, I'll return you to your mother with your new supplies."

"Done... done? No more shopping?" She looked crestfallen that Minerva paused before confirming gently, "yes, we've finished everything on the list."

"Ah..." Amelia was looking down on the ground. "Got it. Back to Mum, yeah?"

Minerva shifted, feeling uncomfortable and wary. She was eagered to drop Amelia back to her mother so she could go home. She would go to Dumbledore, tell him that she passed his silly test, get her job, prove that she could teach young children, and all would be well.

That's what the plan was.

But why did it feel wrong?

Amelia ran her arm over her face and sniffled loudly.

Minerva was no fool.

"And most importantly... patience."

She straightened herself upright, and the sight of the Muggles trudging along Muggle London, rude and lonely, filled her mind at that moment. The newspaper that fluttered in the wind and the empty apartment building. This little girl with a torn blue dress. A future witch, like herself.

And reluctantly, she pushed aside every single complaint she wanted to voice into the wind at that moment, and ignored how cold she was.

"Actually, there is one other place." Minerva stated casually.

The girl's head snapped up.

A small smile played on her lips. "Would you like to visit it with me?"

Amelia nodded furiously.

"Do you like ice cream?"

The answering smile she got in reply made her realize that it was worth any annoyance this day could throw at her patience.

Minerva held out her hand and grasped Amelia's smaller one.

You win this one, Albus. I will pass your stupid test.